Michael Swickard's new novel about New Mexico

From KOB-TV.com - By: Stuart Dyson, KOB Eyewitness News 4 -Democrats in the state legislature are on a collision course with Gov.
Susana Martinez over the way taxpayers support the state's film
industry.
Democrats want to get rid of the cap the Governor succeeded in putting
on the state's film subsidy - it's $50 million a year - and while the
Democrats say it's got to go the Republican Governor says it's got to
stay.
Here's how it works: For just about every dollar you spend making a
movie in New Mexico the state will give you back 25 cents. That's a
sweet deal compared to film subsidies in most other states, but in 2011
the Governor convinced lawmakers to cap the total giveaway at $50
million a year. Democrats say it's time to pop that cap and grow the
film industry.
"We want to convince her that removing the cap is going to be the best
for the industry," said Sen. Phil Griego, who represents a far-flung
district in Northern New Mexico. "It's going to send a message to the
industry that New Mexico is open to the making of films."
But Gov. Martinez is sticking to her guns, saying there needs to be a
limit on what the taxpayers are shelling out to the movie makers."What makes the film incentive cap so important is that it makes
budgeting more predictable," Martinez said. "I'm not going to take money
out of a classroom and tell kids the money is going to the film
industry instead of the kids."
New Mexicans in the film industry hope to convince Martinez that lifting the cap will create more jobs in a hurry. "You put in jobs immediately," said Jon Hendry of the IATSE film
technicians union. "If you want good high-paying union jobs - I
emphasize union jobs - jobs with benefits - the type of jobs that you
want here in New Mexico - we can have them in 90 days."
Gov. Martinez does favor allowing any unused film incentive money under
the $50 million cap to be carried over into the next year's amount.
Right now that does not appear to be popular with the movie people. Read more

The state became one of the last states to
put strong criminal prohibitions against human trafficking in 2008 making it a
third degree felony. But Gov. Susanna Martinez, ABQ Mayor Richard Berry and two
state representatives held a press conference about hammering down on human
traffickers during the 2013 legislative session.

The proposals include putting
human traffickers on the sex offender registry if they sexually exploit a
victim, like forcing the victim into prostitution; changing felonies to second
degree if the victim is 16 years old or older and to a first degree felony if
the victim is 15 years old or younger; and tightening the loophole for those
accused of intending to traffick humans.

A
coalition of education group is lobbying the Legislature to provide 4 percent
pay raises for teachers and other public school employees next year, a proposal
that puts them at odds with Republican Gov. Susana Martinez.

Martinez has recommended no salary increases
for educators or state workers in the coming fiscal year.

The Legislative
Finance Committee has proposed 1 percent raises, costing about $18 million to
fund in the state's public schools.

The
education coalition includes organizations representing school boards,
administrators, parents and teachers. The groups outlined their legislative
proposals to House and Senate Education committees on Friday.

A
legislative committee has rejected legislation backed by Gov. Susana Martinez
to toughen New Mexico's
penalties on repeat drunken drivers.

One of the bills supported by the
Republican governor but rejected by the Democratic-led House Consumer and
Public Affairs Committee would have increased prison time for fourth and
subsequent DWI convictions.

The second bill would have effectively required DWI
convictions to figure in the determination on whether a defendant is an habitual
offender.

During Thursday's hearing
opponents said that toughening penalties would add costs for the court
system and prisons.

Business
leaders in Santa Fe are calling on the northern New Mexico city to
freeze its minimum wage, now set to rise by 2 percent on March 1 under a cost-of-living
adjustment.

The Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce says higher costs imposed on
businesses mean they'd have to raise prices. The chamber says that would raise
the cost of living and increase unemployment while making it unlikely young
people could find entry-level jobs.

The
city's minimum hourly wage will rise March 1 to $10.51 from $10.29.

Mayor David
Coss says he opposes capping the minimum wage. Coss says city residents have
expressed support for it and that Santa Fe's
economy is in better shape than those of other New Mexico cities.

Recent
analysis by the state Legislative Finance Committee that shows 71 percent of
the nearly 27,800 babies born in New Mexico during 2010 were paid for by the
state and federally funded health insurance program for the poor.

Experts say
the large number of Medicaid births reflects a slew of problems in New Mexico, such as high
rates of unemployment, drug use, school dropout and teen pregnancy.